Lille manager Christophe Galtier has admitted that Boubakary Soumaré has caused “tension” at the club, amid continued links with a move to the Premier League.

The 20-year-old has been one of the breakout stars in Europe this season, with his performances in Ligue 1 attracting the interest of some of the biggest clubs on the continent.

Manchester ​United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all keen on moving for the dynamic midfielder, but they’re not alone in their interest – with Arsenal and Tottenham, AC Milan, Atletico and Real Madrid all thought to be admirers.

Soumaré was even the subject of a ​failed club-record bid from Newcastle in the January transfer window, despite terms being agreed between the Magpies and his current employers, Lille.

Now, it seems that failing to secure a move away has caused some issues in the French camp – with manager Galtier admitting to L’Equipe that things have not been plain sailing with so many interested parties, leading to Soumaré being dropped from the side this past weekend.

“There is a situation at the club that I do not comment on,” he began. “In seasons, there can be tension between a player and his club. We’ll settle this internally and find a solution. 

“Under these conditions, I therefore decided to work on two other options this week. I found it interesting what (Jean Emile) Onana could do. “

Onana was the man drafted in to play Marseille at the weekend, a game which Galtier’s side would go on to lose 2-1 after two quick-fire goals in the second half, leaving them in fourth place in Ligue 1.

Soumaré’s absence is unlikely to drag on for too long – he is, after all, one of Lille’s best players and has played a crucial role in their success this season – and a swift return to the side could see him emerge as an outside contender for France’s Euro 2020 squad.

He’s yet to be capped at full international level, but has made four appearances for the Under-21s since making his debut last year, marking the sixth consecutive youth level that he has represented Les Blues at.

Milan bounced back from their derby day collapse against rivals Inter ​with a 1-0 win over Torino at San Siro on Monday night, Ante Rebic’s sixth goal in seven games proving decisive.

Milan had surrendered a 2-0 lead against their arch-rivals in their most recent Serie A outing, slipping to a 4-2 defeat to end their run of seven games without a loss in all competitions.

However, they recovered admirably, and Monday’s victory lifts them into the top half of the table and into eighth, with 10 points separating them from Atalanta in the final Champions League spot, but now just four points between themselves and Roma in fifth.

It’s now nine home games unbeaten for Milan – the best run they have had on home turf in over three years.

Milan started brightly, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had the ball in net in the 20th minute following a flowing Milan move, but his goal was chalked off for offside.

Milan did take the lead five minutes later through a well-taken Ante Rebic finish. Torino were adamant that they should have been given a foul in the build-up, as Samu Castillejo won the ball off Alex Berenguer inside the Torino half.

However, the referee waved away the visitor’s protests, and Cetillejo picked out Rebic inside the penalty area, who found the bottom corner with a calm, first-time finish.

Milan could have doubled their lead three minutes into the second half, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic curled a wonderful opportunity just wide.

Torino came back at Milan in the second half, but the hosts dug in and held on for a hard fought victory. Despite the visitor’s pressure in the second half, Gianluigi Donnarumma enjoyed a relatively comfortable night between the sticks.

Milan face a trip to Fiorentina in their next league outing on Saturday, a side they lost 3-1 to at the beginning of the season but now sit five places abov in Serie A.